Meeting Sandra

Sandra Dallas is a bestselling author who lives in Denver. I love her books. One of my book clubs has read 4 of her 8 novels, and surely will read more. When we discovered she was doing a book signing at a Barnes and Noble nearby, we were all over it! We all purchased her latest book, Prayers for Sale, read it, went to her book signing last night, and went to dinner afterward to discuss the book. It was a fantastic night!

Sandra is a great woman, incredibly kind and gracious. We told her that we've been a book club for 7 years and have read half of her novels. I shared with her my favorite passage from Prayers (which is set in 1936):
"You've got a good man, Mrs. Spindle."
"I couldn't ask for better. Still, I've found out a husband isn't everything to me. There's lots of things I can't talk to Dick about. I mean, he'll listen. Dick's good about that. But he doesn't understand the way a woman does. Have you noticed that about a husband?"
Hennie nodded. She'd noticed.
"I wished he'd asked me if I wanted to come to Middle Swan. I'd have told him yes, because a wife's supposed to, like the Bible says. She's supposed to follow where he goes. But he could have asked me instead of telling me. He could have had a consideration for my feelings." She added quickly, "I don't want you to think I'm finding fault."
"There isn't a wife who doesn't feel like you," Hennie told her. "That's why the Lord made friends. They can be a burden, but most times, I'm gladder for my friends that I am for almost anything, maybe even quilting. I'm proud to say I have as many friends as I do quilts."
"I'm obliged to say my friends are better made than my quilts," Nit said."

I told Sandra that when I read this passage I practically shouted "Amen!" out loud. So I was delighted to see what she wrote in my book when she signed it:
(in case you can't make it out, it says, "To Melissa Aren't friends wonderful! and then her name and date).

She was kind enough to take a picture with us, which B&N staff most authors won't do. The girls and Sandra-

She also shared some background with us on how one of the characters in the book came to be named. It was just so fun to go and discuss a book after having met its author, especially one as fabulous as Miss Sandra.